ROXAS CITY, Philippines—The New People’s Army (NPA) has admitted having attacked a mountain resort in Tapaz town, Capiz and disarming the resort's security personnel and a policeman.

In a press statement read over the radio on Monday, the Jose Percival Estocado Jr. Central Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) admitted responsibility for the attack on the Marugo Mountain Resort and disarming members of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) serving as security personnel last December 16 at Sitio Marugo, Barangay (village) San Antonio, Tapaz, Capiz.

A ceasefire between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army started taking effect on December 16 and will last for 18 days until January 3, 2011.

Around 40 armed men and women believed to be NPA guerrillas attacked the resort, some 15 kilometers away from the town proper in the afternoon of December 16.

The statement read by spokesman Joey Guerrero explained that the rebels attacked the resort due to alleged abuses by the armed men of businessman and resort owner Roberto Palomar against the local residents living near the resort.

The rebel named the disarmed Cafgu men as Dominido Gascon and Edgar Victoriano.

The NPA rebels took one .30 caliber M1 Garand rifle with 10 clips of live ammunition and an M-16 Armalite rifle with five long magazines and two short magazines, with ammunition from Dominido Gascon and Edgar Victoriano, alleged Cafgus.

They also took six hand-held radios, two pairs of binoculars, a megaphone, a backpack with assorted fatigue uniforms and one magazine loaded with .45 caliber ammunition.

Senior Police Officer 3 Isidro Garbosa of the Tapaz police station, who was at the resort during the raid, said the rebels also took his service firearm, a .9mm Barreta pistol, and two magazines with live ammunition and a cellular phone.

Palomar, who ran for mayor in last May elections but lost to reelectionist Mayor Rosemarie Gardose, was not around when the armed group entered the resort.

Guerrero said that except for the attack on the resort, the rebels have been observing the ceasefire that started last December 16, 2010.